Chapter 126: Owing a Favor
The next moment, Su Zhaozhao’s hand unceremoniously shoved Xu Jiaming’s face away.
She then stood up. Sensing that her body was back to normal, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xu Jiaming, I’m very grateful. I can give you any other reward you want, but not this."
"Why not me? Why is it okay for Xie Huaizheng, but not for me?" Xu Jiaming couldn’t help but ask. "How is he better than me?"
Sure, Xie Huaizheng was handsome, wealthy, and had a great physique, but...
He was a soldier, dedicated to protecting his country. He was always busy with training or away on official missions.
If Su Zhaozhao were to marry him, they wouldn’t be able to be together all the time.
Compared to Xie Huaizheng, Xu Jiaming felt he was a much better fit for Su Zhaozhao.
Besides, Su Zhaozhao loved doing business, and his family was in business too.
It was obvious he was the better match for Su Zhaozhao.
His burning gaze was fixed on her. Even after Su Zhaozhao’s cold words, Xu Jiaming didn’t seem to mind.
’He really is the textbook obsessively devoted suitor from the book—the one who fantasizes about being with the female lead even after she’s married.’
’And I’m not even married yet. Of course he wouldn’t give up.’
"You’ll meet a better girl someday," Su Zhaozhao told him.
"Impossible," Xu Jiaming denied at once.
Su Zhaozhao sighed again. "You will. She’s smart and beautiful—much better than me."
’Not that I actually believe that, but to get him to give up, I have no choice but to string him along with empty promises.’
Before, she could have given him the cold shoulder, but now that he had saved her, she couldn’t bring herself to speak to him so harshly.
"Zhaozhao, are you really making such empty promises just to push me away?" Xu Jiaming chuckled softly.
He moved closer to Su Zhaozhao again, taking her hand and looking at the thick bandages wrapped around it.
Honestly, seeing them made his heart ache.
"Don’t get hurt again, okay? You’re a perfect girl. A scar would ruin that perfection."
Su Zhaozhao’s eyelashes fluttered. ’That’s right,’ she remembered, ’Xu Jiaming is a perfectionist.’
He pursued perfection in everything.
Not just in his paintings, but in everything around him.
"So if I’m not perfect, you won’t like me anymore?" Su Zhaozhao couldn’t resist asking.
Unexpectedly, he just laughed at her words.
"No, Zhaozhao. You’re so special, I can allow your imperfection."
Xu Jiaming’s gaze fell to Su Zhaozhao’s hand. "However, I’ll buy imported medicine—the very best ointment—to make sure your hand doesn’t have a single scar."
"You’re a young woman who cares about her appearance. I know you don’t want to be injured either."
"By the way, where are we? I want to call Huai Zheng," Su Zhaozhao said.
’Something bad is bound to happen if I’m left alone in this hospital room with a guy like Xu Jiaming!’
Xu Jiaming never made any attempt to hide his desire for her. When he stared at her, Su Zhaozhao felt like a piece of meat being eyed by a hungry wolf.
’Xu Jiaming is so strange. In the novel, he was at least able to hide his desires a little.’
’But now, face to face with me, he isn’t hiding it in the slightest!’
Just then, the door to the hospital room swung open.
Su Zhaozhao turned her head and saw the figure of Xie Huaizheng in the doorway.
The man looked like he had been rushing around for a long time. His face was etched with fatigue, yet he still emanated a sharp, imposing aura.
Upon seeing Su Zhaozhao, he froze for a moment, as if he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Su Zhaozhao called out, "Xie Huaizheng."
The next moment, Xie Huaizheng rushed forward and swept Su Zhaozhao into his arms.
"Zhaozhao, so you were here."
He held Su Zhaozhao, but didn’t dare to squeeze too tightly, not knowing if she was injured.
He was restraining himself so much that his arms were trembling.
Su Zhaozhao could feel his body trembling. This was a man of steel, a man who seemed indestructible.
Yet in this moment, he seemed on the verge of collapse.
’It was like I just took a nap, but Xie Huaizheng probably hasn’t slept all night, has he?’
"I’m okay, Huai Zheng. See? I’m perfectly fine now. I’m okay, don’t worry about me."
Su Zhaozhao stroked his back, as if to comfort him.
The man’s arms around her waist grew tighter and tighter.
Su Zhaozhao felt as if Xie Huaizheng was squeezing her so hard she could barely breathe.
She could only imagine how frantic Xie Huaizheng must have been all night to find her here.
’This era was completely different from her original world.’
’Communications were so primitive; it must have been incredibly difficult for him to find her.’
And yet, he had found her.
To her surprise, Su Zhaozhao felt her eyes grow moist. ’Ah, even a woman as tough as me wants to cry right now.’
Just as Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng were embracing, a cough came from behind them.
"Alright, alright, how long are you planning to hold Zhaozhao? She’s just recovered and is still very weak. Don’t go squeezing the life out of her," Xu Jiaming said snidely from the side.
Xie Huaizheng paused, then let Su Zhaozhao go.
He turned his head to look at Xu Jiaming.
For some reason, even though Xie Huaizheng hadn’t said a word, Su Zhaozhao could feel a distinct chill coming from him.
’He’s probably already investigated Xu Jiaming, hasn’t he?’
Su Zhaozhao grew a little nervous. ’Could Xie Huaizheng know about my business dealings?’
While her mind was racing, Xie Huaizheng said to Xu Jiaming, "Thank you. You saved Zhaozhao."
He had already learned the full story while he was searching for her.
The staff had taken notice of Su Zhaozhao because she’d bought a ticket and her behavior at the time had been unusual.
When the people Xie Huaizheng sent made inquiries, they immediately found out where Su Zhaozhao had gone and which train she had boarded.
A little more investigating revealed that Xu Jiaming had taken Su Zhaozhao off the train in a small neighboring city.
Xu Jiaming narrowed his eyes at Xie Huaizheng and chuckled. "No thanks are necessary. After all, Zhaozhao is a girl I like, too."
The moment Xu Jiaming finished speaking, Su Zhaozhao felt the arm Xie Huaizheng had around her waist unconsciously tighten.
’Xu Jiaming really has some nerve.’
’Saying something like that right in front of her fiancé... And Xie Huaizheng definitely looks like the type you don’t mess with.’
"Name your price. You saved my fiancée, so I owe you a favor. The Xie Family owes you a favor."
Xu Jiaming paused when he heard this.
Then, he let out a soft laugh. "A favor from the Xie Family? Should I thank you for being so generous as to extend this favor on behalf of your entire family?"
A favor from the Xie Family of Beijing was no small thing.
And yet, Xie Huaizheng had just offered him one.
"It’s no matter. My fiancée is my future wife. You deserve a favor for saving her."
Su Zhaozhao looked from Xu Jiaming to Xie Huaizheng in confusion.
’Why did it sound like they knew each other from their conversation?’
’And a favor from the Xie Family... Is the Xie Family really that powerful?’